Some of the U.S. cities with the hottest travel markets are looking to control the spread of short term rentals that are flooding their housing markets, partially aided by Airbnb and other similar services. One of them is New Orleans, a unique Louisiana city with a reputation for fun and excitement.

New Orleans has always banned short term rentals (STR) of under 30 days, although the rules were seldom enforced. In May 2017, the city started enforcing SRT legislation passed earlier that requires owners to apply for permits and submit to inspection before renting out their property and forbids or severely limits short-term rentals in some neighborhoods such as the French Quarter. Having new laws on the books doesn’t mean that illegal subletting in New Orleans doesn’t still go on. Reports in local media this summer showed dozens of illegal subletting ads on Airbnb’s website. City planners have asked the company to remove non-compliant accounts from the site as part of New Orleans policy on short term rentals.

New Orleans officials are enforcing a ban on illegal subletting, but there is still confusion on how far the city will go in this town that attracts many visitors. Learn more.

Enforcing Laws About Illegal Subletting In New Orleans

In response, Airbnb has pledged to help out, according to news reports covering the phenomenon of crackdowns on short term rentals within city neighborhoods, but may be dragging its heels a bit in the eyes of local planners. Airbnb says that the City of New Orleans is responsible for enforcing its short-term rental ordinance; its new registration system gives the city the tools to check permit numbers and addresses of potential violators.

Although some city officials are on record committing to a ban on illegal subletting in New Orleans, there is still some confusion about exactly how far the city will go to enforce these rules. Individual landlords can also write bans into their leases, but these have to be enforced in some way as well.

Generally, things work better when landlords have the tools to control their own occupancy for their properties. When landlords can investigate easily and see whether there is illegal subletting going on, in New Orleans or elsewhere, they’re more able to keep their properties in better shape and control occupancy and uses. Together, property owners and public officials are continuing to work on the problem of proliferating short term rental postings in popular New Orleans neighborhoods.